A Flame in Your Heart
by Wanderingcourier
Summary: And Korea's heart falls out of his chest all over again. Companion fic to Intersection, Fallout AU. Not actually much of a romance.


It's cold out.

It has been for a while. Ever since the bombs fell. Nuclear winter, they said. Two hundred years, and it was still winter. No wonder Russia is so crazy. Korea feels like he's going insane, like he's gone insane.

Korea pulled his ragged coat closer around him. It was a piece of a military uniform, once. Korea doesn't like it, but the softer clothes he used to love are all gone now, burnt or worn to death.

It describes the city, too, Korea thinks. He thinks that, and not about why he is Korea now.

(He's gone, he left long before. You searched for a dead man and found his corpse, why are looking for more)

This was Beijing once. He's not sure what it is now. Filled with ghouls and little else, he's not even sure it could be called a city. More of a heap. Not the worst he'd seen, mind, but still not a city.

(How can Japan rebuild if there's no land to rebuild on, just rubble, bones of his once-brother)

(How did Greece stand the ruins of his mother, two hundred and one years ago)

Korea turns his mind away, tries to think of those he knows are living. Russia. One of his eyes was put out and his hair is shorter, but Russia is alive. He keeps his heart tucked in a little pocket in his coat now, he can't get it to stay in any more. Korea never asked why.

The first time he saw Russia's heart fall out, the first thing he thought was I get it. I know what that feels like, he felt it so often. Sometimes it was love, sometimes sorrow, sometimes he didn't know why.

(It was always love, always for him, for China, since the first day he saw him)

He hasn't felt it in a long time. In the beginning, he always felt it. He blinked in the light streaming through the ruins of the shelter, looked out into the dust, and left his heart somewhere a few miles behind.

Over the years, it came back, hardened into place. It was hard to feel anymore.

People forgot, he thought, how old he was. He was just as old as Japan, not so much less than China. It took a lot to shock him into emotion anymore.

(Be careful, you'll catch up)

He used to talk to himself, in the beginning of winter. It made him feel like maybe someone else would answer, if he just kept talking. Nowadays, he just thought to himself and pretended not to recognize the voice in his head.

(Disconcertingly like Taiwan)

He really was insane. He kicked a particularly offensive bit of rock and watched it skitter away. He thought he might recognize this street. It used to be part of the government, maybe. No wonder it was so well destroyed.

Something groaned, and Korea tensed. His hand went to the pistol at his hip, but he didn't draw it, not yet. Ammunition was scarce as it was, and his pistol wasn't exactly the best.

Silence. It was probably just an old support beam settling. Korea kept walking.

The city ended. What used to be fields were deserts, monuments to war. Russia said that things grew as you got further away from the cities. Korea had never walked that far. He sat down on a bit of rubble, watching the dust roll by. At least the cold was dry.

(You could leave)

Korea wondered how Russia was faring, across the sea. He and England were off to look for America and what's-his-face. Korea wasn't sure if he wanted them to find the two.

He sits for hours, statue-still. China would have been shocked, he thinks. From the time he was born to 2077, he'd never been able to stop moving.

Maybe he was the same now, just scaled down. He stands up and his chest buzzes.

(Your heart)

He turns and sprints, he's never run this fast or long in his life.

He turns the corner around a pile of rubble and stops dead. His first thought is Since when do ghouls have hair? His second thought is Oh my God.

The figure turns and-

Korea's heart falls out of his chest all over again.

* * *

**Not a direct sequel to Intersection, but within the same universe. This series won't have regular updates, but if I get inspired more of these might appear.**

**Want improvements? Want to request something? Review!**


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